dogmatic

My family had Pembroke Corgi dogs in an unfenced yard when I was very young. Those were the days when the most common cause of dog death was road accidents - greater than 70 percent I believe. I was too young for my parents to explain how the Corgis died - I'll never know, but I'm fairly certain one died of old age, and another "disappeared" when it became too snappy with young children around. I knew a number of people on rural properties who had Dachshunds as the house dogs. Not sure why. The house yards were not entirely secure.

An unfenced yard with a road nearby makes it difficult. A Lab swimming in the dam all the time would be the least of my worries. I can't think of a breed that's guaranteed not to wander. That aside, I too would have recommended a Corgi, and suggested thinking twice about a Weimer. Not sure why a Jack Russel or Fox Terrier is a bad match? Are you thinking about a dog that's happy to always laze around the house or on a chain in the back yard?

I'm very happy to report that things were a lot easier today; first pop (so to speak) :) Slight variations in the usual diet - less bone, slightly more canned food - and the addition of pumpkin at a proportion of less than ten percent of the canned food - not much at all really. Over the coming days and weeks, I'll test out some subtle variations to fine tune the diet, and let you know of any developments. Thanks for all the suggestions.

On a lighter note, we had some Ridgebacks with us on today's off-leash walk. The Ridgebacks are well know to us. Their principle walker was unavailable today so the onus was on me to keep them safe. I knew about their apparent arrogant nature. At one stage, the younger Ridgeback was focussing intently off into distance in a direction where we definitely did not want him to go. I called him once, twice, three times - the third time at the top of my voice. (Are Ridgebacks' ears glued shut to the sides of their heads?) As soon as I had his attention, I ran in the direction we wanted to go, slapping my thighs and carrying on. He came to me and got praised! Some time later, he had disappeared. I called his name once, and he came to me again. This time a big cuddle. :)

I could see that you weren't advocating punishment - just questioning why it seems to work in some cases. I'd like to describe the incident that sparked this thread a few days ago. We had just started our long daily walk. It's basically a very large open field surrounded by grazing land with trees here and there. Quite often there are no other dogs there. Ahead of me down the track, I saw a man jogging with a pair of large active dogs. They were all coming toward me. At about two hundred metres distant we veered off the path which we usually do. At that point I heard the man yell at his dogs, but I saw it was to no avail. The dogs may have hesitated but they kept coming toward me and the man's yelling increased - still to no avail. The two dogs looked intimidating and the desperation of the man's yelling was a bit of a worry. I'm fortunate enough to have an older dog who can take on all-comers with love and affection, and who has faced this sort of thing many times before, and I was glad to see my younger one staying calm under my direction. There was harmless contact with my older dog and a fair bit of dancing around. By this time the man was about a hundred yards away, but still on the track, and not coming toward me or his dogs. His dogs seemed oblivious to his shouting. It was probably only 5 minutes or so before they returned to him. When I had finished praising my dogs, I looked up and shouted "What breed are they?" But he didn't hear me because he was too busy holding one of his dogs down to the ground, belting into it, and it was yelping with every thump. I didn't watch any more. Those were mature dogs - a grey brindle with pointy muzzles. That's all I know. Whatever training methods the man had used in the past clearly didn't work for the situation the other day, and I seriously doubt that the "training method" used on that day was any better.

The only way to get through to them is to call them over to you, then give them a good thumping. Then walk off, and call them to you again. When they don't come say "and that's why your dog doesn't come when called!" I like that! :)

Sorry, I can't see any beauty in the pictured dogs. Look I agree. I was helping to identify a photo posted earlier. I'd be happy to see the OP change his signature from "It's not the breed, it's the owner." to "Love is blind.", but then again, love is ... Yeah! Well. :)

I guess that eventually the dog will put two and two together and associate bad behaviour with punishment. I think most dogs will eventually come back to their owner whatever the circumstance. (Not sure about those hounds disappearing over the horizon though. :) ) In many cases, punishment does seem unnecessary and might have deeper psychological effects. I've been guilty of punishment of the worst kind - total rejection of the young dog when she was attacking the day-old calves. "GO AWAY!" and even throwing things in her direction. When I'd finally calmed down, I tried to finish on a positive note with a recall and plenty of praise. Nevertheless, for sometime afterwards, I saw a noticeable change in her demeanour - she became suspicious of me which was a real worry. It's taken a while to work through. Behind her aggressiveness was a highly sensitive dog. The good thing to come out of the event is that I now have full confidence in her around the livestock, but I have a feeling that I did tip the balance a little too far with my over-reaction. There is a fine line that I wouldn't like test again, and I'd advise everyone to stay calm and avoid punishing their dogs, whether physically or mentally. Look for alternatives. hankdog, after that confession, I don't think I'm in a position to give tips. For distance work, I'd say to be prepared to be the one doing most of the exercise. In the beginning reward every task on its own merit; walking to the distant dog and away for the next task. I don't think distant sits and downs are too hard provided the dog is initially on its feet and ready for the commands. I've always had problems with the stand/stay command whether distant or nearby. Like most exercises, the stop command just needs practice. I do it when there is no danger of the dogs taking off just to keep them conditioned. Most of my training is adapted to my own daily life. For those who venture into the wilds, I have a good tip. When my older dog was young we'd regularly go off into the bushland. When she was too far away, I'd run off and hide silently. When she noticed I was missing, she'd panic, running back and forth. Eventually she'd use her senses to track me down and it was like all our Christmases had come at once. It did require some discipline and faith on my part, because while your crouched down behind the bush, things start to go through your mind - "She could have reached the road by now ...", "What if she's fallen down a ravine, or got her leg caught?" Occasionally I'd break and go looking for her, and find her looking for me in all the wrong places. Again it was like Christmas when we found each other. There was no command involved. To this day she won't let me out of her sight for more than 30 seconds or so, and it was amazing to see her natural shepherding instinct come to the fore. When there was a group of people, she'd be back and forth making sure everyone is accounted for. The technique is less effective with more than one dog because the older dog is usually the first to panic and find me, and consequently, the younger one is less interested in the game, but there can still be noticeable results.

Generally I reserve the more formal obedience commands for the more formal settings such as obedience training and the back-yard. Out in the field I use different words for less-formal commands like "Stop!" and "Here!" when I just want the dogs to come closer. There is a point where an off-leash dog - usually a younger dog - crosses the rubicon and you just know that everything is out of your hands no matter how blue your face from yelling. You really have to catch the dog's attention before that point. That's how my "Stop!" command came about. Necessity was the mother of invention with a particularly aggressive young puppy. "Stop!" had to be yelled loud enough that the dogs turned to me as if to say "What the ...?", and that was the point to say "Yes!" and go up and reward. The older dog was never trained this, but she's picked it up nicely at the age of thirteen. Who said you can't teach old dogs new tricks? Gradually there was less need to yell, and I'm almost confident that I can stop the dogs even after they've crossed the rubicon. In the smaller, more populated dog parks I just give up. I saw a wonderfully-trained Kelpie puppy deteriorate to the point where I'm sure it was interpreting the words "Come here." as "Ignore me [the owner]." I conceded that it was leisure time for the dogs. The only word I used quite often was a firm "NO!" or "HEY!" when someone was behaving inappropriately, like mounting, or when I could see and hear that a fight was about to erupt. Plenty of praise and attention when things were going smoothly - unfortunately, not often enough. Sometimes I'd use a formal command, but only when I was assured of success, such as the dog right by my side. I rarely saw a dog that would do an immediate recall in the smaller dog-park. Those rare dogs were the envy of the majority. I think the best policy is to give commands only when your likely to succeed. When things do go amiss, move straight on to something else. For example, if the recall is a fail, go up to the dog and make it do a sit then reward. It's not helping to improve the recall, but takes away the difficult decision about whether to punish or reward, and you can feel better about yourself.

BlackJaq, I've seen this often with different people and different dogs in different situations. A couple of times I've tried to help people find their wayward dogs and have insisted that the dog not be punished when it eventually showed up, despite the obvious annoyance of the owner. Usually the dog is wagging its tail with a goofy grin. I don't know what to do in this situation, but I can't help feeling that punishment is not the answer. I usually never see these people again. tlc, A smaller dog park is a different situation especially if there is a lot going on. The best advice I've heard is to avoid attempting to train in that environment. Even if it is perfected in a more controlled environment, the best trained dog will struggle. I'd go even further and say don't waste your breath with any commands at the dog-park, especially if there is a high risk that the dog will disobey. On the other hand, if the dog is coming back to you of its own accord, you can give the command at the same time and reward. It's a type of pre-emptive training which I've had some success with. If you do give commands in the dog-park and the dog is distracted, try to remain neutral - no punishment or reward. Like hankdog explained, it's only human nature to get annoyed.

I agree. Sometimes I feel like yelling "AND YOU WONDER WHY YOUR DOG WON'T COME BACK!" Whenever my dogs, as puppies, came back, I'd carry on like we'd won the lottery. It's a bit hard to explain that to other people while their laying into their dogs. Another command I use with the dogs is "Stop!" It has turned out to be far less formal than a stand or a stay - as long as they stop running, chasing, or moving away from me, I'm happy. For me, it's even more vital than the recall. It requires a lot of practice.

We have the great benefit of a large semi-rural off-leash area. So often I see other dogs bounding up to mine and their owners yelling their heads off to try and get their dogs to come back. I don't particularly mind over-exuberant dogs and it gives me an opportunity to test my own training skills with my dogs. However, when those other dogs do eventually return to their owners, their owners invariably give them a good thumping. Does anyone have any advice for these owners?

She was straining yesterday, and it is gradually becoming an almost daily struggle. I'll try the pumpkin tonight. If not better in a couple of days, it's off to the vets to see what they prescribe. I'm reducing the amount of chicken bones and increasing the amount of canned food, but keeping the harder chewing bones. Thinking of switching to low-fat milk and yoghurt for her bed-time tipple. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll save the brussel sprouts as the last resort. Flatulence? :laugh:

For dogs in general, a puppy's first encounter with a dog outside the nest will influence how the puppy sees the outside world. Make sure it's a pleasant experience whether on neutral territory or not. Both puppy and older dog need to be in a fairly relaxed situation. No surprises! The older dog's existing routine is paramount, but try to let the puppy join in - feeding time, outside time (more often for the puppy!), play time, etc. The puppy will quickly learn to go with the flow. From my very little experience with the breed, their size and boldness make them quite unique, so listen closely to the breeder which I'm sure you've done.

Hope not; else I owe a couple of grand. I remember many years ago there was an annual registration fee. There are differences between councils and differences between states. Yonjuro mentioned above that the council gives a refund for the difference between un-desexed and desexed. Some councils are more enlightened than others.

Wow. Thanks for the recipe. Definitely worth trying! :)

Yes. From memory, that's about right. I have always had a problem with it though. In effect, the councils are coercing people to have their dogs desexed before six months. In practice, the council is unlikely to go after the owner of an unregistered six month old - desexed or not, and my understanding is that an owner needs to be given 28 days notice anyway. It's a one-off fee that lasts the life time of the dog. My issue is that if an owner believes it is better for the dog to be desexed later, they are not given a choice. I would like to see an option of paying the higher fee for an un-desexed dog at six months, then getting a refund for the difference when the dog is desexed at a later date.

She was at the vets for an operation not long ago, and came through wonderfully. I didn't ask about her other issues. Personally, I think the constipation is a simply dietary issue for geriatric dogs (hopefully). She doesn't have any other ailments apart from stiffness when she gets up. I guess what I am looking for is a mild laxative that can be given on a regular basis, or avoidance of anything that might tend to block things up. Pumpkin is cheap and she will eat it if mixed in with other things. I suppose it won't hurt, but seems like a pain to prepare. Vehs, I think I knew what you meant.. but still. :) I will start taking note of what she eats, and see if there is a pattern. Good idea.

Maybe she's so used to canned food and sardines that they don't do the trick. The sardines I give are in springwater. Wondering if I should try the ones in oil. The yoghurt is the same that we eat - full-cream biodynamic - she gets a single spoonful every night. "a bit of a probe"? Honestly, I don't think it's that serious at the moment. :) Next time I'm at the vets I will ask though. Thanks. I have used mashed pumpkin for the opposite reason - no idea if it works, because it's usually just a 24-hour affair anyway. Thanks for the suggestions.

It does sound like a good vet - more concerned about the long-term health of the animal rather than other issues which may be able to be managed. I would be interested to find out where those health recommendations came from. Regarding aggression, the Australian Veterinary Association has a report acknowledging that aggression (specifically dog biting) is a complex affair. The AVA notes that citing studies as recent as 2008.Here's the report: Dangerous dogs – a sensible solution

I have a 13-year-old GSD. All her life, she has been fed the same diet - raw meaty bones (chicken, lamb, beef, pork - whatever's cheapest - almost always chicken wings, necks, frames, whole, etc plus a harder bone to chew on), premium canned food, a small tin of fish in the morning (started off as the cats' leftovers before they passed away, now cheap sardines in springwater) and sometimes a raw egg or two. Over the last two years, I started giving a glass of warm milk and yoghurt before she goes to bed - she now demands this is part of the nightly routine. Over a longer period of time - probably three or four years - she started to become occasionally constipated - becoming more frequent as she gets older. It can take three or four - even five - goes over a period of up to ten minutes before anything comes out and it's usually a little larger than normal. Is there a safe remedy that I can introduce to her daily diet?

Just quoting from the Revolution (Selamectin) Product Sheet: "For the elimination of Sarcoptic Mange (sarcoptes scabiei), Revolution should be applied once and is highly efficacious as a single dose. A second monthly dose of Revolution may be required for complete elimination of mites in some dogs." I can vouch for the single dose efficaciousness the first time I used it, but not so the second time. There seems to have been some other factors at play, so I'm looking for an alternative to try. I'm not worried about the safety of the drugs per se. However, I would be hesitant to use the drug outside the manufacturer's instructions. Thanks. My first thought was a lime-sulpur wash. Has anyone tried that?

Sometime ago, we used Ivermectin for heartworm treatment. I suppose I could ask the vet again. Thanks.

My dogs are exposed to feral animals in their daily life. The vet thinks that's how they've got mange. With the older dog, a single dose of Selamectin cleared it up in a few days. It seemed like a miracle after a month or more of insane scratching. It has never bothered her again. When a new dog got mange, I dosed them all, cleaned the bedding, etc. However, this time wasn't so successful, so they were dosed again a month later. At the same time I started using Pure Lavender Oil. Ears, elbows, underarms, fore-chest were all given a good rub with cotton balls dipped in the oil. It's amazing how much dirt comes off and she smells sweet for an hour or so afterwards. The small scabby bits cleared up, and the lost patches of hair have grown back nicely. However, she still goes into an occasional manic scratching fit around her elbows and sometimes her ears. It looks to me that she still has some traces of sarcoptic mange and one of her elbows is developing a callus as a result. I don't like washing the dogs. I've had one "stinky" and found that the best treatment for her is a good daily brush. But I'm open to suggestions.

There might be a pedigree somewhere on the website - if you can read Thai.